Free camping near Penn Valley, CA
Yes. 19 of the 37 camps within 25 straight-line miles of Penn Valley, CA are listed as free; 18 charge a fee. The closest free one is Garden Point, 17 miles north, on U.S. Forest Service land. The closest camp of any kind is South Yuba Recreation Area, 15 miles northeast, a fee campground.
All 37 camps near Penn Valley, CA
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Yuba Recreation Area | 15 | Fee | Kenebec Creek (stream) | 2.0 mi to Blue Tent | — |
| Hornswoggle | 16 | Fee | — | 3.1 mi to North San Juan | — |
| Schoolhouse | 16 | Fee | — | 3.3 mi to North San Juan | — |
| Garden Point | 17 | Free | Schoolhouse Creek (stream) | 2.8 mi to Greenville | — |
| Dark Day | 17 | Fee | — | 3.5 mi to Camptonville | — |
| Garden Point Boating | 17 | Fee | — | 4.2 mi to Camptonville | — |
| Catfish Cove | 18 | Free | Willow Creek (stream) | 2.8 mi to Celestial Valley | — |
| Bullards Lakeshore | 18 | Fee | — | 4.3 mi to Camptonville | — |
| Frenchy Point | 18 | Free | — | 5.3 mi to Clipper Mills | — |
| Frenchy Point | 18 | Free | North Yuba River (river) | 2.0 mi to Greenville | — |
| Madrone Cove | 19 | Free | Empire Creek (stream) | 2.3 mi to Greenville | — |
| Madrone Cove | 19 | Fee | — | 4.4 mi to Clipper Mills | — |
| Willow Creek | 19 | Free | Willow Creek (stream) | 0.8 mi to Camptonville | — |
| Bridger Creek | 20 | Free | Jaybird Creek (stream) | 2.6 mi to Weeds Point | — |
| Kanaka Creek | 20 | Free | Kanaka Creek (stream) | 2.3 mi to Cruzonville | — |
| White Cloud | 21 | Fee | — | 4.0 mi to Washington | — |
| Watson Lake Campground | 21 | Free | Sugar Pine Reservoir (water) | 2.9 mi to Iowa Hill | — |
| Giant Gap Ridge | 21 | Free | Sugar Pine Reservoir (water) | 3.5 mi to Monte Vista | — |
| Casa Loma | 22 | Free | Canyon Creek (stream) | 0.5 mi to Casa Loma | — |
| Giant Gap | 22 | Fee | — | 5.2 mi to Alta | — |
| Shirttail Creek | 22 | Fee | — | 5.1 mi to Alta | — |
| Burlington | 22 | Free | North Fork Deer Creek (stream) | 0.5 mi to Junction House | — |
| Forbes | 23 | Fee | — | 6.0 mi to Alta | — |
| Finning Mill | 23 | Free | Pagge Creek (stream) | 1.9 mi to Hughes Mill | — |
| Skillman | 23 | Fee | — | 2.8 mi to Washington | — |
| Oak Valley | 23 | Free | North Yuba River (river) | 1.4 mi to Oak Valley | — |
| Giant Gap Road | 23 | Free | North Shirttail Canyon (stream) | 3.5 mi to Casa Loma | — |
| Shenanigan Flat | 24 | Free | — | 4.4 mi to Camptonville | — |
| Big Reservoir | 24 | Fee | — | 5.5 mi to Alta | — |
| Brimstone Ohv Campground | 24 | Free | Pagge Creek (stream) | 1.4 mi to Hughes Mill | — |
| Elliot Ranch | 24 | Free | North Shirttail Canyon (stream) | 3.5 mi to Casa Loma | — |
| Trapper Camp | 25 | Free | — | 5.0 mi to Goodyears Bar | — |
| Carlton | 25 | Fee | — | 5.3 mi to Camptonville | — |
| Indian Valley | 25 | Fee | — | 5.5 mi to Camptonville | — |
| Fiddle Creek | 25 | Fee | — | 5.5 mi to Camptonville | — |
| Cal Ida | 25 | Fee | — | 5.5 mi to Camptonville | — |
| Rocky Rest | 25 | Fee | — | 5.2 mi to Goodyears Bar | — |
Who manages the camps near Penn Valley, CA
Who manages them: 36 on the Forest Service; 1 on the BLM.
- Tahoe National Forest — 34 camps: 18 free, 16 fee
- Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit — 1 camp: 1 free
- Mother Lode Field Office — 1 camp: 1 fee
- Plumas National Forest — 1 camp: 1 fee
Season read for these camps, today
Our record has no season word for any of these 37 camps today. Call the managing office before you go.
Forecast near Penn Valley, CA
This is the Weather Service forecast for the town, fetched when the page opens. It is not a forecast for any camp in the table; ground higher up or in a canyon can run colder or windier. It needs JavaScript; without it, see weather.gov.
Camping near other towns close by
The nearest towns that have their own page, with the straight-line miles between the towns.
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Penn Valley, CA, not a driving distance — a camp four miles out across a canyon can be an hour of road. Cost is the audited three-state verdict on each camp's own record: free, fee, or unpriced where we could not confirm a price. A blank column is a gap in the record, not a statement that the thing is absent. Camps come from state and federal agency records, not from a visit, except the ones marked. Seasons, permits and fire rules change: confirm with the managing office before you go. Found a fee where we show free? Tell us on the contact page.